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As I have mentioned, I will deem a place a city if it has a decent downtown.
(In your average U.S. city downtown may be the only real urban area-but having one is the crucial distinction).
As for public transportation, I don't embrace the fashionable status of rail. If a city has a good bus system, that is good enough.
A decent downtown where a lot of people actually live in and that is not completely shut down after 7pm. A downtown that is primarily office buildings where it is even hard to find 5 large grocery stores doesn't make a city.
Honestly, many of these cities could fit into both of these categories, especially larger cities and their metros (NYC, Detroit, Chicago, San Francisco, etc.). But if I had to label these cities, here would be my categorizations.
All of the cities that I have been to:
Los Angeles - Giant Suburb
Washington D.C. - Real City
New York City - Real City
Chicago - Real City
Houston - Giant Suburb with pockets of urbanity
New Orleans - Real City
Orlando - Giant Suburb with pockets of urbanity
Indianapolis - Real City
Columbus - Real City
Cincinnati - Real City
San Antonio - Giant Suburb with pockets of urbanity
Austin - Real City with suburban patches
Baltimore - Real City
Phoenix - Giant Suburb
Cities with obvious answers:
Seattle - Real City with suburban patches
San Francisco - Real City
Boston - Real City
Philadelphia - Real City
Minneapolis - Real City
Oklahoma City - Giant Suburb
Detroit - Real City
Portland - Real City
Jacksonville - Giant Suburb
Providence - Real City
Stamford - Real City
Pittsburgh - Real City with suburban patches
Sacramento - Real City with suburban patches
Oakland - Real City
I'm going on a guess here...:
Atlanta - Giant Suburb?
St. Louis - Real City?
Nashville - Giant Suburb?
San Diego - Giant Suburb?
Memphis - Giant Suburb?
Dallas - Giant Suburb?
Denver - Real City?
Las Vegas - Real City?
Tampa - Giant Suburb with pockets of urbanity?
Charlotte - Giant Suburb?
Cleveland - Real City?
Richmond - Real City?
Kansas City - Real City?
Birmingham - Real City?
Little Rock - Giant Suburb?
Chattanooga - Giant Suburb?
Knoxville - Real City?
Louisville - Giant Suburb?
Raleigh - Giant Suburb?
Additional Cities:
Miami - Real City?
Fort Lauderdale - Real City?
West Palm Beach - Real City?
Savannah - Real City?
Fort Worth - Giant Suburb?
Galveston - Real City
Brownsville - Giant Suburb?
El Paso - Giant Suburb
Salt Lake City - Real City
Boise - Real City?
Newark - Real City
Alexandria, VA - Real City?
Arlington, VA - Real City?
Falls Church - Real City?
And neither of these is exactly bad. You can have fun and do interesting things in both types of layouts (walking everywhere in a "real city", go carhopping in a "giant suburb"). I always make the best of what I have and I'm always on the lookout for interesting things to see and do wherever I am.
Honestly, many of these cities could fit into both of these categories, especially larger cities and their metros (NYC, Detroit, Chicago, San Francisco, etc.). But if I had to label these cities, here would be my categorizations.
All of the cities that I have been to: Los Angeles - Giant Suburb
Washington D.C. - Real City
New York City - Real City
Chicago - Real City
Houston - Giant Suburb with pockets of urbanity
New Orleans - Real City
Orlando - Giant Suburb with pockets of urbanity
Indianapolis - Real City
Columbus - Real City
Cincinnati - Real City San Antonio - Giant Suburb with pockets of urbanity Austin - Real City with suburban patches
Baltimore - Real City
Phoenix - Giant Suburb
Cities with obvious answers:
Seattle - Real City with suburban patches
San Francisco - Real City
Boston - Real City
Philadelphia - Real City
Minneapolis - Real City
Oklahoma City - Giant Suburb
Detroit - Real City
Portland - Real City
Jacksonville - Giant Suburb
Providence - Real City
Stamford - Real City
Pittsburgh - Real City with suburban patches
Sacramento - Real City with suburban patches
Oakland - Real City
I'm going on a guess here...:
Atlanta - Giant Suburb?
St. Louis - Real City?
Nashville - Giant Suburb?
San Diego - Giant Suburb?
Memphis - Giant Suburb?
Dallas - Giant Suburb?
Denver - Real City?
Las Vegas - Real City?
Tampa - Giant Suburb with pockets of urbanity?
Charlotte - Giant Suburb?
Cleveland - Real City?
Richmond - Real City?
Kansas City - Real City?
Birmingham - Real City?
Little Rock - Giant Suburb?
Chattanooga - Giant Suburb?
Knoxville - Real City?
Louisville - Giant Suburb?
Raleigh - Giant Suburb?
Additional Cities:
Miami - Real City?
Fort Lauderdale - Real City?
West Palm Beach - Real City?
Savannah - Real City?
Fort Worth - Giant Suburb?
Galveston - Real City
Brownsville - Giant Suburb?
El Paso - Giant Suburb
Salt Lake City - Real City
Boise - Real City?
Newark - Real City
Alexandria, VA - Real City?
Arlington, VA - Real City?
Falls Church - Real City?
And neither of these is exactly bad. You can have fun and do interesting things in both types of layouts (walking everywhere in a "real city", go carhopping in a "giant suburb"). I always make the best of what I have and I'm always on the lookout for interesting things to see and do wherever I am.
You have no idea what you're even talking about. Austin a real city but San Antonio, Nashville, & LA are giant suburbs? DT San Antonio is more classically urban than practically anywhere in Austin.
DTLA is more urban than just about anywhere in the state of Texas. There are WAY more urban & walkable neighborhoods in the city of LA than Austin, TX along with better and more extensive public transit.
You do realize that you can't cover all of NYC (real city) on foot. Try walking from the Bronx to Queens. Heck, the Upper East Side to Lower Manhattan. You're looking at 1-3 hours of walking in this scenario. You'll definitely need to hop in a taxi, drive, or take public transit. But that doesn't take away from NYC being a real city at all. NYC has the most urban and walkable neighborhoods in the nation. What makes it a real city is the totality of urban & walkable neighborhoods, not just a small, downtown area. I think you need to get out more....
I'll break down the OP's distinctions into five, rather than two, types. I included several additional cities of my own. Thank me or correct me, depending on your opinion.
REAL CITIES IN THEIR OWN RIGHT
San Francisco
New York
Chicago
Washington, DC
Minneapolis
Denver
New Orleans
Boston
Seattle
St. Louis
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Richmond, VA
Detroit
Portland, OR
Sacramento
Oakland
Stamford, CT
Pittsburgh, PA
Providence, RI
St. Paul
Milwaukee
REAL CITIES WITH LARGE TRACTS OF SUBURBANITY
Indianapolis
Austin
Columbus
Cleveland
Cincinnati
Nashville
Memphis
Charlotte, NC
Louisville, KY
Raleigh, NC
Savannah, GA
Charleston, SC
Miami
Fort Lauderdale
Madison, WI
GIANT SUBURBS WITH A "THEME PARK"-LIKE URBAN DOWNTOWN
Little Rock
San Diego
Las Vegas
San Antonio
Orlando
Tampa
Albuquerque
Santa Fe
Houston
Dallas
Fort Worth
GIANT SUBURBS THAT USED TO BE REAL CITIES
Los Angeles
Atlanta
Chattanooga
Hot Springs, AR
Kansas City, MO
Oklahoma City
Knoxville, TN
Jackson, MS
Baton Rouge, LA
GIANT SUBURBS ALL OVER FROM THE GET-GO
Phoenix
Scottsdale
Orange County, CA
Jacksonville, FL
Birmingham, AL
Last edited by MillennialUrbanist; 10-17-2017 at 03:54 PM..
I'll break down the OP's distinctions into five, rather than two, types. I included several additional cities of my own. Thank me or correct me, depending on your opinion.
I'll break down the OP's distinctions into five, rather than two, types. I included several additional cities of my own. Thank me or correct me, depending on your opinion.
GIANT SUBURBS WITH A "THEME PARK"-LIKE URBAN DOWNTOWN
Little Rock
San Diego
Las Vegas
San Antonio
Orlando
Tampa
Albuquerque
Santa Fe
Houston
Dallas
Fort Worth
What does this even mean? "Theme Park-like downtown??
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